Centennial anniversary: Rube Marquard: 19-0

100 years ago today, Rube Marquard did something that no other pitcher has ever done, before or since.

On July 3, 1912, the New York Giants pitcher notched his 19th win of the season, giving him a record of 19-0. It’s the most wins any pitcher has ever had in a year with zero loses.

As you might expect, to achieve this mark several factors had to break in his favor.

First, Marquard was pitching well. Exact gamelogs for 1912 aren’t up at Retrosheet (yet), but here’s what can be said: Marquard had 18 starts from Opening Day to July 3 (the other win must’ve come in relief), and opposing teams scored just 44 runs in them. That’s 2.44 runs per game, well under the NL’s seasonal average of 4.62. So Marquard has that going for him.

Also – and beyond Marquard’s control – his teammates helped him tremendously. The Giants scored 123 runs in those 18 starts, 6.83 runs/game, which of course greatly exceeds average offensive support.

Between his pitching and their hitting, there weren’t any close games until June. All of Marquard’s first dozen starts were decided by at least three runs.

Then luck started to break for him. Towards the end of the streak, there were a number of close games, but Marquard managed to win all of them. Four of his last six starts were one-run wins, and the Giants won a fifth by two runs.

When Marquard had a bad day and allowed six runs, the Giants would score eight, as happened on June 29 for his 18th win. Four days later the hitters didn’t show up, but Marquard did, winning 2-1 a century ago today to bring the streak to 19 straight wins to begin the year.

Finally, Marquard had a bad day the same day his teammates did, and on July 8, Marquard lost 7-2 to the Cubs. He lost his next decision, too. (As a result, the only 20-1 pitcher of all-time is Roger Clemens, who did it in 2001 before finishing the season 20-3).

In fact, Marquard wasn’t very good in the second half of the year. After starting the year 19-0, he was 7-11 the rest of the way. Marquard and his relievers allowed 93 runs in his final 20 starts, twice as much as they surrendered earlier in the season.

Marquard’s streak would not last, but he’s still the only person to begin the season 19-0, and he did it 100 years ago today.

Aside from that, many other baseball events today celebrate their anniversary or “day-versary” (which is something that occurred X-thousand days ago). Here they are, with the better ones in bold if you’d rather just skim things.

1913 Phillies ace Pete Alexander loses his third game in a four game series to the Giants. It was a very different game back then.

1918 Former friends turned bitter enemies John McGraw and Walter Johnson manage their 100th game against each other. They’ll end up facing off 376 times – the most by any pair of managers in NL history – and split their lifetimes series: 186-186-4.

1948 In the Central League, Dick Lane homers five times in one game—all off the same pitcher (Boom Boom Beck).

1950 Casey Stengel shuffles the lineup and decides to put Joe DiMaggio at first base. It’s the only time he’ll play there.
1951 In a Class D minor league game, Bill DeBenedetto walks 21. Shockingly, he never makes the majors.

1951 Former Dodger reliever Hugh Casey shoots himself with a shotgun. He’d been depressed over marital problems.

1963 For the only time in his career, Joe Torre starts a game in the outfield. After five frames, he moves from left to first base.

1965 It’s one of the most famous controversies in the controversy-filled career of Dick Allen. He gets in an altercation before the game with teammate Frank Thomas, who swings a bat at Allen in pre-game warm ups. The Phillies will release Thomas, but Allen will draw a lot of the ire from fans. Oh, not that anyone remembers it but in the game that day Dick Allen legs out two triples for the only time in his career.

1992 Pedro Astacio makes the most of his unexpected big league debut. He throws a three-hit complete game shutout in a win over the Phillies in a rare doubleheader in Dodger Stadium. This is part of a group of twin-billings the Dodgers are playing due to some cancelled games during the Rodney King Riots. If it hadn’t been for that, Astacio would’ve remained in the minors a bit longer.

1999 Jim Riggleman manages his 1,000th game, but it’s not a fun one, as his Cubs lose 21-8. The day before they lost 14-1. The day before that they fell 19-12. This is not a fun stretch for the Cubs, obviously.

2008 Ouch. The Brewers enter the bottom of the ninth leading the Diamondbacks 5-0, but end up losing 6-5. They didn’t record a single out in that frame.

2009 Ramon Vazquez hits the 10,000th home run in the history of the Pirates franchise. This includes their time in the 1880s American Association and so might not match up with the team’s own claims, but this is true.

2009 Albert Pujols launches his 10th career grand slam, and fourth of five on this season.